Apple halving machine



April 25, 1950 F. DERBENwlcK Erm. 2,505,235

` APPLE HALVING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14. 1947 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 ATTOPNE YS JAMES F Pra/v, JR. /VORMH/v C CQLHOUN BY zfmmwjxm, mz/mu April 25, 1950 F. DERBENWICK ETAL 2,505,235

APPLE HALVING MACHINE Filed NOV. 14, 1947 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 25, 1950 2,505,235 APPLE HALVING MACHINE Frank Derbenwick, Oakland, James F. Ryan, Jr.,

San Leandro, and Norman C. Calhoun, Oakland, Calif., assignors to Gerber Products Company, Fremont, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 14, 1947, Serial No. 785,998

(Cl. 14S-'73) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a machine for halving apples.

In the processing and canning of apples, as part of the operation it is desirable to cut the apples in half in the direction of the core so that they may be thoroughly inspected for decay and for Worm infestation.

One object of this invention is to provide a machine for automatically cutting apples in half along the axes of their cores.

Another object is to provide a machine which automatically orients apples on either their stem ends or calyx ends, with their axes vertical, and holds them in that position while they are being cut in half.`

Still other objects will be apparent from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a machine made in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a iront elevation of the machine.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine, partly in section, on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial plan view oi the lanes for orienting the apples on their bases and of the spring steel lingers at the ends of the lanes for centering the apples and holding them in position while they are being cut in half by rotating knives, the view showing the progress of apples through the lanes.

Figures 5-A, 5-B, 5-C, 5-D and 5-E are partial vertical sectional views along correspondingly numbered lines of Figure 4 illustrating the manner in which the lanes act to orient the apples on their ends or bases.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, the numeral I indicates a suitable frame for the machine, supporting at one end thereof a hopper 2. The hopper is open in its bottom and is mounted close above an endless conveyor belt 3 passing over rollers 4 and 5, supported in suitable bearings in the frame I. One of the rollers, for example the roller 4, may be connected by means of a pulley 6 to a source of power, not shown, for driving the roller and thereby the conveyor belt 3.

At the delivery end of the belt 3, a plurality of dividing plates 'l are attached to the delivery end of the hopper 2. These dividing plates are disposed in parallel relationship and are spaced apart just far enough to accommodate the largest apple to be hal-ved by the machine. VThe apples are led into the hopper 2 and are carried by the belt 3 to the dividing plates 'I, by which they are arranged in single rows or files. The apples drop from the belt 3 after passing over the roller 5, between the dividing plates 1, onto a second conveyor belt r8 passing over rollers 9 and I0. One of the rollers I0 may be connected by a pulley II to a source of power, not shown, by means of which the roller I 0 is caused to rotate and to transmit linear motion to the conveyor belt 8. Preferably, the belt 8 is caused to move at a speed approximately double that of the belt 3. The purpose of having the belt 8 move more rapidly than the belt 3 is to provide a space between each apple, as it falls from the belt 3 to the belt 8, and the succeeding apple.

A plurality of lanes or channels, corresponding in number and location to the lanes formed by the dividing plates 1, are formed adjacent the upper surface of the belt 8 by guides or bafe plates I2. As in the case of the dividing plates 'I, the guides I2 are parallel and are spaced apart just far enough to accommodate the largest apple to be processed by the machine. As may be clearly seen in Figures 1 and 4, the baiiies I2 are arranged in a slight zigzag for the purpose of deecting the fruit. An apple has more stability when it is resting on either its stem end or its calyx end, rather than on its side. If an apple, upon dropping from the rst belt 3 to the second belt 8, lands on either its stem end or its calyx end, the baille plates I2 will merely slide it back and forth across the surface of the belt 8. However, if the apple lands on the belt on its side, the baffle I2 will roll it first in one direction, then in the other, and the result will be in the great majority of cases that the apple will come to rest on either its stem end or its calyx end.

This action is illustrated in Figures 4, 5-A, 5-B, 5-C, 5-D and 5-E, showing the successive positions of an apple as it is rolled by the baiiles I2 onto one of its ends. In Figure 5-A, an apple has landed on the belt 8 on its side. Figures 5-B, 5-C and 5D illustrate the action of the balile plates i2 in rolling the apple until it comes to rest, as shown in Figure 5-E, on one of its ends or bases. It has been found that, if an apple does not find the place of greatest stability in going through the rst change in direction caused by the bailles I2, in the great majority of cases, the other change of direction caused by the bafiles will properly orient it on one of its ends. It has been found that with two such changes in direction, the machine will arrange to 98% of the apples on their ends.

Near the ends of the lanes, spring steel fingers I3 are secured to the baffle plates I2 for the purpose of centering and holding the apples securely in position while they are being cut. The apples are cut in half by vertical circular knives Ill, one of which is positioned centrally at the end of each lane. The knives I4 are mounted upon a shaft I5, which Vis driven through a pulley I6, attached to its end, by a suitable source of power, which is not shown. The shaft I5 is supported in suitable bearings on the frame I.

This machine will satisfactorily cut apples from which the cores, calyxes or stems have been removed. In fact, their removal -inreases the sta.- bility of the apples on their ends. It has also been found that the apples may be peeled before being fed to the machine without affecting its operation.

'The faster rate of motion of the belt 8 with respect to the belt 5 prevents two small apples Afrom getting abreast of each other in the zigzag section, Where one apple may be delayed momentarily, and causing a jam. This makes grading of the apples unnecessary and one machine with lanes wide enough to accommodate the largest apples can be used for apples of all sizes.

It will be appreciated that there is provided by this invention ya machine which makes possible the reduction of labor costs in handling apples for canning. Moreover, the machine greatly speeds up the handling of large crops of fruit in the harvest season, so that spoilage due to delays in processing is minimized.

While the Ymachine has been described in connection with the halving of apples, it will be appreciated that, if desired, it may be used for treating other fruits and vegetables having at least one Vrelatively iiat base. For example, the machine might be used for cutting other pomes, tomatoes, pineapples, or the'like. It will also be appreciated that, by providing a greater number of rotating blades I4, the fruit may be sliced in layers instead of being merely halved.

We claim:

A machine for cutting apples in half through their core to allow inspection for infestation comprising a first conveyor belt for feeding the apples to the machine, a second conveyor belt adjacent the discharge end of the viirst conveyor positioned to receive apples from the rst conveyor belt, said second conveyor moving more rapidly than the rst conveyor whereby the apples are spaced along the second conveyor, a pluralitryrof baille plates supported above the conveyor belt, said baffle plates extending at an angle to the second conveyor to form a plurality of zigzag channels through which the apples pass whereby the apples will be deflected and oriented in a position on their ends as they pass through the channels, flexible guide fingers at the discharge end of the channels for centering the apples, and rotating circular knives extending down between the lingers and just clearing the upper surface of the second conveyor belt for cutting the apples in half through their cores.

FRANK .DERBENWICK JAMES F. RYAN, JR. NORMAN C. CALHOUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recfnd. in the ille of this patent:

UNiTED. sTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,079,573 Morton Nov. 25, 1913 1,214,519 Demuth Feb. 6, 1917 1,445,899 McGregor Feb. 20,'1923 1,513,007 Remington Oct. 28, 1924 2,441,884 Johnson r May 18, '1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 303,178 Germany Jan. 26, 1918 

